System and method for gathering information using a power device wherein information is associated with at least one external load

• US 8,639,953 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Spitaels, James S., Deokar, Vishwas Mohaniraj, Brookshire, Kyle, Rodenhiser, Fred William
• Primary Examiner(s): PEYTON, TAMMARA R
• Application Number:
  US12/412,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 710 8- 10, 710 15- 19, 713/300, 713/340
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A power device, such as a UPS, and a method for gathering system information using the power device are provided. In one aspect, a UPS receives system information associated with at least one other device, the system information including configuration management information, stores, in data storage, the system information associated with the at least one other device and provides the system information to an external entity.

Claims

1. A method for providing information regarding at least one external load coupled to a power device to receive power from the power device, the power device having nonvolatile data storage and an interface, the method comprising:

receiving, by the power device from the at least one external load, system information associated with the at least one external load, the system information including configuration management information that identifies one or more components included in the at least one external load;

storing, in the nonvolatile data storage, the system information associated with the at least one external load; and

providing at least one portion of the system information via the interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving, by the power device, the system information includes receiving system information via an external system interface.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the at least one portion of the system information includes transmitting the at least one portion of the system information via an external system interface.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the at least one portion of the system information includes displaying the at least one portion of the system information in a user interface.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein displaying the at least one portion of the system information includes displaying the at least one portion of the system information in an alphanumeric display.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising gathering performance information associated with the at least one external load.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein gathering the performance information associated with the at least one external load includes determining power consumption information by monitoring power drawn from a power outlet of the power device and the method further comprises determining configuration management information based in least in part on the power consumption information.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a request for the system information to the at least one external load via an external system interface.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing system information associated with the power device.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing system information associated with peripherals of the power device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein providing the system information associated with peripherals of the power device includes providing information associated with at least one of an external battery and a network management card.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving, by the power device, the system information includes receiving a name of a software application executing on the at least one external load.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein receiving, by the power device, the system information includes receiving a version of the software application.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein receiving, by the power device, the system information includes receiving a version of firmware of a peripheral of the at least one external load.

15. A power device comprising:

a housing;

an input to receive power from a power source;

an output operatively coupled to the input and configured to provide power to at least one external load;

a user interface disposed within the housing;

a nonvolatile data storage disposed within the housing;

a controller coupled to the user interface and the nonvolatile data storage and configured to;

receive, from the at least one external load, system information associated with the at least one external load, the system information including configuration management information that identifies one or more components included in the at least one external load;

store, in the nonvolatile data storage, the system information; and

provide at least one portion of the system information to an external entity.

16. The power device according to claim 15, further comprising an external system interface and wherein the controller is further configured to receive system information via the external system interface.

17. The power device according to claim 15, further comprising an external system interface and wherein the controller configured to provide the at least one portion of the system information to the external entity is further configured to transmit the at least one portion of the system information via the external system interface.

18. The power device according to claim 15, wherein the controller configured to provide the at least one portion of the system information to the external entity is further configured to display the at least one portion of the system information in the user interface.

19. The power device according to claim 18, wherein the user interface includes an alphanumeric display and the controller is configured to display the at least one portion of the system information in the alphanumeric display.

20. The power device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to gather performance information associated with the at least one external load.

21. The power device according to claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to:

gather power consumption information by monitoring power drawn from the output; and

determine configuration management information based in least in part on the power consumption information.

22. The power device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to send a request for the system information to the at least one external load via an external system interface.

23. The power device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to provide system information associated with the power device.

24. The power device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to provide system information associated with peripherals of the power device.

25. The power device according to claim 24, wherein the controller is configured to provide information associated with at least one of an external battery and a network management card.

26. The power device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to receive configuration management information including a name of a software application executing on the at least one external load.

27. The power device according to claim 26, wherein the controller is configured to receive a version of the software application.

28. The power device according to claim 26, wherein the controller is configured to receive a version of firmware of a peripheral of the at least one external load.

29. A nonvolatile computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction for providing information regarding at least one external load coupled to a power device to receive power from the power device including instructions that instruct a controller to:

receive, from the at least one external load, system information associated with the at least one external load, the system information including configuration management information that identifies one or more components included in the at least one external load;

store, in nonvolatile data storage, the system information associated with the at least one external load; and

provide at least one portion of the system information via an interface.

30. The computer readable medium according to claim 29, wherein the instructions further instruct the controller to receive configuration management information including a name of a software application executing on the at least one external load.

31. The computer readable medium according to claim 30, wherein the instructions further instruct the controller to receive configuration management information including a version of the software application.

32. The computer readable medium according to claim 30, wherein the instructions further instruct the controller to receive configuration management information including a version of firmware of a peripheral of the at least one external load.